


Desert Storm

by Apocraphex



Category: Naruto
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Deities, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2006-06-23
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 10:41:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16700944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apocraphex/pseuds/Apocraphex
Summary: Gaara is the young Pharaoh of Suna whom forms a relationship with the demon vessel Naruto. But the peaceful kingdom of Suna is threatened to be invaded by Orochimaru who wants to claim the kingdom as his own...Originally posted in 2006-06-23Posted here for archiving purposes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Collaboration with another writer.

''Congratulations, majesties. It's a boy!''  
Pharaoh took the child in his arms and felt a sudden chill. He looked down at his son and found blue sinister eyes staring back at him. They were not the eyes of an infant, but those of someone who held great knowledge and power.  
Pharaoh was taken aback. He didn't feel the overwhelming joy he had felt at the birth of his first son Kankurou, instead he felt troubled.  
What did it mean? Was his imagination playing tricks on him?  
''Let me hold him!'' Pharaoh turned to the child's mother. She was smiling as she reached for the boy, but the Pharaoh hesitated to hand him over. ''Please!'' she pleaded.  
He reluctantly placed the boy in the Queen's embrace but still felt a little worried. The child was quiet. Too quiet. He had yet to let out his first screams.  
''He's beautiful!'' the Queen beamed. ''Hi there, little one. Welcome to Suna!'' She met Pharaoh's eyes and fell silent. ''What's wrong? You look so worried.''  
Pharaoh forced a smile, ''It's nothing.'' He kissed the Queen's forehead. ''He's just perfect.''  
The ruler decided that he was probably wrong. How could such a small child be malicious?

***  
Three years later

''Oh my ...! Gaara! What have you done!?'' The Queen ran in to the nursery and pulled the three-year old to his feet.  
''Boom'', he replied with a smirk.  
His mother looked around the room and felt the hairs on her neck stand. The floor and the walls were covered in blood, and so was her son. She shook him violently. ''What were you thinking!?''  
Gaara licked some blood of his lips. ''Tastes like metal.'' The Queen's eyes widened.

The Queen and Pharaoh had been out that day, monitoring a ceremony a few miles away. Gaara had been left alone with his nanny. He didn't like her very much, because she wouldn't let him play with his sand. Gaara loved sand. He had recently discovered that he could make it move at his own will, and he wanted nothing more than to see just how great his new 'toy' was.  
This was one of those days when the sun was unusually strong and hot, and Gaara was not allowed outside. He sat in his nursery, making the sand form into pyramids, when his nanny entered the room. She was mad at him for making the area messy, and told him to clean up and play with his other toys instead.  
''Just a little while longer?'' Gaara was just about to form the nose of a sphinx and he wanted to finish it.  
The nanny kept on nagging. When the child didn't put away the sand, she proceeded with the intention of destroying his creations. Gaara acted without thinking. He sent the sand her way, surrounding her. When she was totally covered, Gaara closed his hand, making the sand squeeze the nanny. She died without a sound, her insides splashing all over the place.

The boy took no notice of the horrific expression on his mother's face. Instead, he touched the blood splattered on his cheek with his index finger and put it in his mouth to taste more of the delicious red fluid. The Queen gasped and backed away slowly, her mind frantically trying to grasp the situation.  
If Pharaoh knew about what happened, he would no doubt get rid of Gaara, or keep him locked up for the safety of the kingdom. No matter how important the child was to him, the kingdom would always be his top priority.  
If, on the other hand, Pharaoh was not informed, the Queen would have to make sure Gaara never did anything like that again, or she would never forgive herself.  
After considering the alternatives, she came to the conclusion that she couldn't bear the thought of Gaara being locked up, or worse...  
She took the boy in her arms and held him firmly in place.  
''Don't tell your father about this, okay? It was not a funny game, Gaara! Your father will be very mad if he hears about it!''  
The boy glanced at her from the corner of his eye. ''I had fun.''  
''You can not inflict pain on others ever again, my son. Only bad boys make people hurt. Don't forget that.''  
Gaara hugged her back. ''I won't, mom.''  
The Queen decided not to worry Pharaoh. She told him that the nanny had treated their son badly and had been sent away. She cleaned the nursery herself, so that no one else got to see the horrific scene.  
She raised Gaara as good as she possibly could, hoping he wouldn't repeat the incident.

The years went by, and as Gaara grew up, his power increased with tremendous speed. On his 12th birthday he was named the Pharaoh of Suna. His father knew that he was so much stronger than his siblings, therefore he found Gaara most fit for the job.

 

***

 

The soft sound of bare feet running along the road leading from the Uchiha estate could be heard. The tall boy further ahead stopped as he heard the approaching footsteps and turned around to face his little brother.  
''Nii-san! Wait for me!''  
The taller boy simply watched as the younger came closer, his face impassive, ''Mother said she wanted you to remain at home today.''  
''I don't feel ill anymore! I wanna go to the temple with you!''  
The elder smiled gently, ''Some other day, Sasuke. Go back and get some rest now.''  
The boy pouted, but did what his brother said. Once the older brother was sure that Sasuke was gone, he continued on his way. He made sure he wasn't followed as he changed his path to head to a different temple.  
Sasuke muttered to himself as he made his way through the beautiful gardens of the large estate. His mother was too overprotective of him! He had just coughed a little bit, he wasn't ill and he definitely didn't want to be treated like a little child. He wanted to go with his brother Itachi to the temple to pay his respect to Anubis, the deity their family held in highest regard. Sasuke remembered that Itachi once had told their father how silly it was for a high-status noble family like them to worship such a small deity when there were other gods to choose from. That was the only time he'd seen their father angry, and he did not wish to see it again. He couldn't remember what their father had said to Itachi, but his big brother never once mentioned anything like that again.  
He was interrupted in his thoughts by the sound of a puppy yapping. He turned to see a small white puppy run towards him. He smiled and bent down to pet the dog.  
''Hey, Akamaru!''  
The dog's owner soon joined them. Inuzuka Kiba studied together with Sasuke and the two had become close friends. ''Hey, Sasuke! Wanna come and play down by the river with us?''  
''Would I ever!''  
The two young boys walked down to the river, happily talking about the latest assignment they had been given in homework from their teacher as Akamaru ran around by their feet.  
The sun was still high in the sky and the air was heavy with heat, so the river banks was the most likely place for the children of the desert country Suna to play. The mosquitoes were plenty and sometimes they spotted a hippo or a crocodile, but at least they wouldn't die from heatstroke.

Time flew by and the sun was setting. The two boys had played in the water for hours before lying down on the river shore to dry off, when Kiba's stomach grumbled. He laughed and ran his fingers through his brown hair before stretching himself.  
''I think we better go home, it's almost time for dinner, ne?''  
''Yeah, you're right'', Sasuke said but made no hurry to get up as his black eyes watched the sun set slowly behind the mountains on the other side of the river.  
He looked at his best friend getting dressed for a moment before standing up to put his clothes back on as well. Dinner would be ready to be served any minute now, and his father was very strict with the family being there together. They walked back together, only parting ways when they had to go in separate directions.

He could tell something was different when he set his foot on the Uchiha grounds. The air felt...wrong. A sudden dread filled his heart but he fought it back and slowly made his way to his home. It was all too silent, too dark. No lamps lit up the gardens, there were no lights shining through the windows and there were no voices to be heard. He opened the door and stepped inside.  
''Mother?''  
The only answer he got was a solid silence.  
''Mother? Father?''  
He ventured further into the house but there were no signs of his family anywhere. Were they supposed to visit friends or other relatives for dinner tonight? He couldn't recall his parents telling him about it, though. With a confused frown, he opened the door to the dining room - and froze. A man was standing in the middle of the room...with his parents bodies lying by his feet, their blood splattered all over the room.  
He simply stared at the bodies. That weren't his parents...it couldn't be! Sasuke looked up at the man, whom looked at him with crimson eyes. The young boy gasped.  
''Itachi nii-san!''  
He made a move to run towards his brother, but a low growl halted him. A large lioness stepped up next to Itachi, she curled her lips to show her sharp teeth as she slowly walked towards Sasuke.  
''Sekhmet...not him.''

 

***

18 years ago:

Pharaoh's eyes widened as he watched the enormous beast attack the outskirts of his peaceful kingdom. The demon was glowing in the night, as if he was born out of the fires of Hell. He waved his nine tails, each one causing minor earthquakes as they landed on the desert sand. The Pharaoh's soldiers screamed in rage and horror as they watched their companions get eaten alive by the monster fox as they tried to fight him back to prevent him from reaching the closest city.  
He turned to the High Priest of Amun, an old wrinkled man whom visibly shook out of fear of the demon. ''We need to act now, Sarutobi. Is the child ready?'' The priest nodded his head as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, while holding onto a newborn baby with his other hand. ''Good. We count on you...Sarutobi, my friend.''  
Sarutobi was then taken to a chariot pulled by the two fastest horses in the kingdom, on which he would be driven closer towards the beast. The baby could feel the wicked energy of the demon getting closer to him, and screamed for all he was worth. He didn't know what the energy meant, he just knew instinctively that it was evil and he didn't want to be close to it. Sarutobi gently caressed the child's back to calm him down, to not bring the attention of the beast towards them.  
The chariot driver steered the horses as close as he dared to the demon, while Sarutobi mentally repeated the seals needed to conquer the demon fox. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then prayed to Amun that the gods were on their side. The chariot came to a halt and the priest stepped out and laid the baby down on the shaking ground in front of him. He then proceeded to chant ancient spells and perform special hand seals, summoning the powers from the gods to seal the demon. Men could not kill a demon, but they could seal them away, and the newborn baby before him had been chosen to become the demon vessel.  
The giant fox noticed them too late; a blinding light charged out from the High Priest as he sacrificed his life to seal the monster into the baby boy. The soldiers shouted in surprise at the sudden luminosity and covered their eyes. When the light faded away they opened their eyes and froze in shock. The demon was gone.  
The chariot driver shivered from the immense power he'd felt as he looked around. The old priest was nowhere to be found, all that remained from where he'd been was the baby that cried from the ordeal it had been through. A strange mark flashed upon its belly to then slowly fade away into the skin.  
The driver took a moment to take a deep breath and recollect himself, then took the crying child in his arms and urged the horses back to Pharaoh in full speed. Once he reached his destination, he halted the horses and stumbled off of the chariot to kneel in front of Pharaoh, presenting the child to him.  
Pharaoh took the child, but was immediately hit by the same feeling as when his son Gaara was born.  
Sarutobi had made it. He had finally been able to outmatch the Nine Tails. Pharaoh held the child to his chest and lifted his eyes to the sky which was lit up by thousands of stars.  
''Thank you, Sarutobi. Suna will be forever thankful.''

 

The royal court held a memorial service for Sarutobi the following day. When it was over, Pharaoh held a meeting with his closest advisors.  
''I don't know if I think we should let the child live'', said Genma as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. ''He might turn against us as he grows stronger and conscious of the Kyuubi.''  
''I agree'', Hayate joined the conversation. ''He may not even be able to hold it in.'' The man interrupted himself by coughing a couple of times before continuing, ''What if Kyuubi is turned loose upon Suna once again? We do not have anyone strong enough, or with enough knowledge, to sacrifice anymore!''  
Pharaoh considered what they had to say, along with his own thoughts.  
''I understand your concerns. But I still feel that we should give the child a chance. He might become a very strong man, and you all know we could use one in case we get into a war. Plus, the empire would hardly encourage the murder of an infant. They would riot against me!''  
''Then what is your suggestion, your majesty?'' Genma enquired. ''If we are not to get rid of him, where will he go?''  
Pharaoh frowned. ''Hmm... maybe if we keep him here in the palace, he could train with my Gaara and become just as strong as him. They might complement each other well in a war zone.''  
Hayate nodded, ''Good idea, my majesty. I believe it is worth a try.''  
So the child was left alive. Pharaoh let the little boy's family know that the mission was successful, and that he now held a demon within him. The family agreed that the safest option was to let the boy live close to the royal guards where he would be monitored all the time, and raised well, so that when the time came, the boy named Naruto would know how to control the demon named Kyuubi.

 

***

PRESENT TIME

Naruto had been chasing Gaara around the enormous garden on the backside of the royal residence for quite some time. The blond boy was fast, but the young pharaoh kept him just out of fighting range. The sun was high in the sky and the heat was getting to both of them, which made them both slower in their movements. Gaara made a quick turn to the right and entered his maze. His father had had the maze planted long before Gaara was born, and the green hedges that formed it had grown very high and dense. Gaara had made a pit of sand in the centre of it, completely out of sight of anyone standing outside or hovering above, as the middle part had a roof of leaves and branches where the hedges had grown together. That was where he was heading today.  
The red-haired young pharaoh ran faster, his kilt made of expensive silk swivelled in the wind. He could feel that Naruto was closing in on him. When he got to the sand, he stood silent and still with his back to the hedges. He heard Naruto enter the square area. Gaara leaped forward and caught him from behind.  
''Gotcha!'' Gaara smirked, holding Naruto firmly in his grasp.  
Naruto grunted as he was caught off-guard by the redhead. He proceeded to twist his body in a way that would give him enough leverage to throw the older boy off of him.  
''Hey now, don't play all hard to get.'' Gaara got into a fighting stance and fixed his gaze on the blue eyes of his companion.  
Naruto smirked as he too positioned himself. ''Nah, not playing hard to get. Just gotta let you work up a sweat before you get some, dattebayo!''  
Gaara gave a short laugh. ''All right, give me what you've got!''  
Naruto made a motion to move to the right, but sidestepped and set off at full speed to the left to deliver a high kick towards Gaara's head, but the young pharaoh dodged the attack and took a hold of the blond boy's ankle with his right hand. Naruto instantly shifted his weight and rolled in mid-air to lash out with his other foot. It hit the side of Gaara's head with full force, knocking him to the ground. Naruto landed rather disgracefully next to his superior, but didn't let the other catch his breath before he fisted his hand and aimed it at Gaara's nose. The redhead shielded his face with his sand, hoping it would distract the other boy while he got up and snuck behind him. The sand came too suddenly which made it impossible for the blond to halt his movements. His fist connected with the hard sand with a loud crack, and for a short moment he wondered if he had broken his hand, but thankfully he only scraped his knuckles enough for them to bleed.  
Gaara had positioned himself right behind the blond, ready to push him to the ground beneath him, when he caught a glimpse of Naruto's hand. He stopped abruptly. ''Yum.'' He put his hand on Naruto's arm, pulling it closer. He licked his lips, still staring at his companion's bleeding wounds. He lowered his head and ran his tongue down each of Naruto's fingers, making low sounds of pleasure.  
Naruto watched Gaara's tongue and shivered with anticipation, panting softly as the wet muscle slid over the bruised skin. Gaara was completely preoccupied with his action, kissing every knuckle gently. He sucked softly at the wounds to extract as much blood as he could, before releasing Naruto's hand.  
As soon as his hand was released it felt like some magic spell had broken. Without thinking, his body continued the fight by trying to connect his elbow with Gaara's ribs. The pharaoh leapt to his feet to avoid the strike, but Naruto hit his knee instead.  
''Oww, that was below the belt, Naruto!'' Gaara glanced at the other boy with what was supposed to be a hurt look on his face.  
''I thought you liked me doing stuff below your belt...'' Naruto said with a sultry voice as he slowly stood up, a sly grin on his lips.  
Gaara smirked. ''Hmm I do, do I?'' He took a step closer to the blond.  
Naruto slowly licked his lips as he stared into Pharaoh's eyes. ''Yeah...maybe I should refresh your memory?''

With that, he moved forwards, kicking his legs out towards Gaara's in hope to bring the other down again. The taller boy jumped backwards, and found himself standing with his back against the hedges. He knew he had to move away quickly, before Naruto came at him again, but he couldn't find a way out. Naruto seized his chance and jumped right at the other, his arm moving to lock around the Pharaoh's neck.  
Gaara was trapped. It was impossible for him to dodge the other boy, so when Naruto had him pinned to the hedge, he wrapped his left arm around the blond and ran it up his back. Naruto's tanned skin was deliciously damp, and Gaara had to restrain himself not to throw him at the ground and have his way with him.  
''Are you gonna let me go?'' The pharaoh's voice was muffled by his companion's shoulder.  
Naruto smirked. ''If you beg nicely.''  
Gaara licked Naruto's shoulder before removing his hand and pulling himself loose. ''I guess not, then.''  
He ran a few steps away from the other boy, turned around, and sent three small projectiles of sand at him. Naruto ducked the first two projectiles with ease, but the third nudged his arm, scraping the skin roughly as it went by. The demon vessel charged at the other again, with more force in his movements. A strange powerful aura came over him, increasing his speed and making him feel stronger as he attacked Gaara.  
''Now we're talking!'' The pharaoh set off to meet Naruto, smashing right into him. He started a series of attacks, avoiding the shorter boy's vital areas, his eyes fixed on the blood dripping from Naruto's arm. The blond gave as good as he got, trying to keep the powerful force down enough to keep himself from seriously injuring the Pharaoh but something inside of him craved for the power to overtake him completely. He closed his eyes and roared to make the creepy feeling go away while he threw a punch at Gaara's face. Naruto had never given in to that voice before, no matter how many times Gaara had tried to push him to his limits during their friendly fights.  
The Pharaoh wasn't prepared for the force of Naruto's strike. He dodged it too late and was hit head on. He fell to the ground with a thump and remained still. Naruto stood panting by his ruler's body as he concentrated on retracting the powerful energy.  
''Check mate'', he muttered before falling to his knees. ''My Lord, are you alright?''  
Gaara opened his eyes slowly. ''What was that...?'' He tried moving his legs. When he found that they were intact, he continued feeling through the rest of his body. It wasn't too painful. ''Yeah, I'm all right.'' He sat up, putting a hand on Naruto's leg for support. The hand was shaking. ''Heh... I suppose I should be prepared for that the next time. I didn't know you'd been working out.' The Pharaoh lifted his hand and looked at it. It was still shaking. And it hurt.  
Naruto watched with wide eyes as the redhead sat up. He had managed to get some hits at him before, but none like this. Gaara's sand always protected him from the harder blows. ''You're bleeding, my Lord.'' He had never seen Gaara bleed before, he had been by his side his entire life but he'd never seen a scratch on the redhead.  
Gaara turned to Naruto. ''I...am?'' He looked at his hand again. He could see it now, the red fluid running down his arm, dripping from his elbow. He had, in fact, never bled before. ''How do I make it stop?'' The Pharaoh was puzzled. He didn't know how to react to this new feeling.  
''Let's head back and have your healers take a look at it.'' Naruto put his arms around Gaara's waist, helping him to stand.  
''Wait.'' The taller boy shifted so that he stood in front of the blond. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the boy's lips. ''Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.''  
He focused his gaze on the deep blue orbs just a few inches from his own eyes. Naruto looked back into Gaara's eyes for a moment of hesitation, before he lowered his eyes submissively and opened his mouth to respond to the kiss. Satisfied to get something else to think about besides the stubborn wound which wouldn't stop bleeding, the Pharaoh deepened the kiss, exploring Naruto's mouth with his tongue. The blond's arm around him tightened as he pressed himself against his superior.  
Gaara gently but firmly pushed Naruto to the soft sand below them, never parting their lips as he did so. When they lay on the ground, the redhead ran his hand over Naruto's wounded arm, mixing their blood. The act excited him beyond belief. Naruto gasped into Gaara's mouth as he watched the king's actions. He spread his legs wide in order to let Gaara be more comfortable as he kissed back passionately.  
Gaara lifted himself onto his knees and ended the kiss only to trace Naruto's jawline with his tongue. He placed his right hand on the other boy's thigh, letting it find its way up under his kilt. Naruto raised his hips in invitation, urging the older boy on. His hands travelled up Gaara's arms, desperate to force the other's head back to his so he could continue the kiss, but knowing better and thus let the hands caress Gaara's shoulders. The Pharaoh fought back a smirk. He loved it when Naruto wanted him like that. He made eye contact with the boy as he moved his hand and simply ripped the blond's kilt right off.

Naruto bit his lower lip as he moved closer to the Pharaoh, desperate for his divine hands to touch his body. Gaara leaned in and kissed him again. He lowered himself down over the other boy, feeling his arousal against him. He ground their bodies together a few times, letting out a low moan. The blond hissed in pleasure as he ground back. His hands impatiently went to the gold-laced belt that kept the Pharaoh's kilt in place, ready to rip it to shreds if he had to but somehow finding enough will power to simply unbuckle it. Gaara stopped his movements to make it easier for Naruto to remove his kilt. When it was gone, he pressed his entire body to the blond's. He savoured the feeling for a moment before urging Naruto to raise his hips again. Naruto did as Pharaoh wanted, but somewhere deep inside his mind a fleeting thought reminded him that neither of them had brought along any oil for lubrication and he bit his lower lip as he imagined the pain that would cause. But that didn't really matter now, all he wanted - and needed - was the man above him.  
Gaara noticed the shift in Naruto's eyes. He thought about going easy on the boy, but then he reminded himself of the fact that he did bleed because of him. With a sudden burst of excitement, Gaara hooked his arms under Naruto's legs and thrust himself deep inside the younger boy, groaning loudly in pleasure.  
Naruto gasped for air as he dug his fingers into the sand he was lying upon. The pain was blinding, he wanted to scream but couldn't bring enough air into his lungs to do so. He could feel himself getting torn, blood slowly pour out of him. Gaara met his eyes apologetically, and licked a teardrop from Naruto's whiskered cheek.  
He couldn't help himself, but started to move inside the boy. He did it slowly, not to tear him any further. He breathed heavily, his eyes filled with lust. Naruto was comforted by the Pharaoh's gesture. He clenched his teeth and hissed at each thrust, but at least he could breathe. It stung like hell but Naruto had vowed to go through any sort of pain for his Pharaoh. He shut his eyes and forced himself to relax, as hard as it was.  
Gaara thrust a few more times before withdrawing from the boy beneath him. He wasn't satisfied yet, but he found that he didn't like the obvious pain consuming Naruto's entire being.  
''I'm sorry'', he whispered, kissing the blond softly. He slid down Naruto's muscular yet slender body, stopping to run his tongue over his nipples. He proceeded to kiss his way down Naruto's stomach, the feeling of guilt growing within him. It took a minute for Naruto's numb mind to realize what Gaara was doing, but failed to grasp the situation completely. All he knew was that the worst pain was gone, and he took a deep calming breath before relaxing his hands that had clawed non-stop into the shifting sand.  
Gaara reached up and took hold of Naruto's right hand. He squeezed it lightly, while caressing the younger boy's well-toned abs and thighs with his free hand, his kisses showering the blond's hips. Naruto moaned at the affectionate touches, wanting more but it hurt too much to move his lower body. He opened his eyes to look down at Gaara, confusion clearly shown on his face.  
Pharaoh shifted his eyes to face Naruto. ''I don't want to hurt you anymore'', he answered the other boy's unasked question.

Naruto laid his head back into the sand, the sweat making it stick to him. He could feel a slight tingle throughout his body that wasn't because of Gaara's administrations, and he smirked slightly to himself. He was healing rapidly due to the demon within him, and soon the pain in his ass was nothing more than a dull throbbing. Gaara continued kissing Naruto wherever he could, as he started to caress the younger boy's member with his right hand. Naruto thrust up into Gaara's hand, panting hard as he grew aroused again.  
He relished in the amazing feelings for a moment before he deemed himself healed enough. ''My Lord...I'm ready...''  
Gaara met his eyes. ''You can't be... Are you sure?'' The Pharaoh felt like he was going insane with desire for the blond.  
Naruto smiled gently as he looked into Pharaoh's eyes, ''Yeah, I'm sure. But...but not so rough, please?'' He mentally winced at that, as it made him sound like a weak girl.  
Gaara grinned back at him. ''You've got it, sister'', he laughed, and before Naruto had a chance to respond, he lowered his head and ran his tongue up and down the other boy's length.  
The Pharaoh loved the reaction he got. He supported Naruto's hips as he positioned himself yet again. He proceeded slowly, entering the blond carefully. The dried blood caused some discomfort but not enough to distract the blond from enjoying the feeling of Gaara entering him. He placed his hands upon the Pharaoh's back, gently running his short fingernails along the other's spine. Gaara moved agonizingly slow, going deeper before pulling back a few inches only to thrust forward again. He moaned, sweat forming on his forehead. A part of Naruto wanted the Pharaoh to move faster, but another part of him reminded him that he was still sore from earlier. He weighed his options for a moment while Gaara continued in his slow pace, then decided that he couldn't take it anymore. He ground his hips up, moaning for Gaara to move faster as he slid one of his own hands around his throbbing member. Pharaoh let out a sigh of relief as he quickened his pace. He placed his own hand over Naruto's, moving it, as he panted loudly with every breath and thrust. It didn't take long before Naruto felt that warm sensation in his stomach, and he knew he was close. He unconsciously moaned Gaara's name as he reached climax.  
The older boy felt Naruto contract around him. The added friction felt delicious, and when he heard his companion say his name, Gaara's entire body shook as he came. The blond returned from cloud nine when the sticky fluids inside of him began to itch, and his own come had started to dry on his stomach. He grimaced as Gaara pulled out of him. He reached for his kilt, eager to take a bath to clean up. Gaara did the same, wrapping his clothing loosely around his hips.  
''I've gotta go, I have some meetings I have to attend.'' He started to walk away, but stopped before he disappeared into the maze. ''You're awesome'', he smiled as he turned and left.

 

***

''Where have you been?''  
Gaara sighed as he faced his advisor. Hayate sounded like he already knew the answer, which he probably did considering the fact that the Pharaoh and Naruto had been less than quiet before.  
''I've been training with Naruto. I'll be there in time for the meeting, I just have to take a quick bath first.'' He made a gesture towards the bathroom with his arm without thinking.  
Hayate's eyes widened when he noticed the red fluids on the younger man's arm as well as a faint bruise on the side of Gaara's face. ''Your majesty! What have that boy done to you? We must get you to a healer this very moment!''  
Gaara winced. ''Uhm.. this? It's nothing! I was caught off guard, that's all.'' He ran his hand through his unruly hair, fairly sure of that Hayate wouldn't settle for that.  
Hayate had the urge to scold the young Pharaoh as he would his own son, but held his tongue on the matter. Gaara was the Pharaoh of Suna, after all.  
''You shouldn't run around and act like a child with that boy. You must start to act like the respectable leader your father chose you to be. Marry a woman or two and have children, instead of tumbling around with...him.''  
Oh yes, Hayate knew more than well what kind of relationship had formed between the Pharaoh and the demon vessel, and he made sure to let Gaara know of his thoughts on the matter. The advisor coughed for a bit before continuing with mentioning that the lovely Hyuuga Hinata from the noble Hyuuga family would make a perfect queen. Gaara felt the anger boil in him.  
''I 'tumble around' with whoever I wish! If I wanted a woman, I'd get one.'' Sand started to whirl around his clenched fists, but he willed it away.  
Hayate instinctively took a step back when he saw the sand moving. ''Of course, your majesty. I am just thinking of the reputation of the country, what people will say when you still have no wife or heirs...''  
Pharaoh stared at him. ''Heirs? I'll make sure to leave my empire to the right person when the time comes. Right now, I'm completely satisfied with Naruto.'' He knew exactly how that sounded to his advisor, and he couldn't help smiling as he folded his arms across his chest.  
Hayate realized that he had to step back...for now. He bowed his head respectfully as he coughed. ''Of course, my Lord. Shall I fetch you a healer to look at your wounds?''  
Gaara knew he'd won. ''Yes. Send him to my chambers.''  
He walked down the hall and into his private bathroom, where he thought of Naruto as he sunk into a tub of hot water, watching his blood liquefy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter consists mostly of flashbacks, flashbacks and more flashbacks. Maybe not too amusing, but they're critical for the story!
> 
> Just for the record, in "present time" in the fic, Gaara's 19, Naruto's 17, and Sasuke is 18 years old.

Gaara held back a frustrated sigh as he forced himself to not just cover the people in front of him in sand and squish them as the annoying little flies they were to him. As a Pharaoh, he had to act judge between feuding nobles and he just didn't have the patience for it, nor did he care at all about the supposedly important accusations from a nobleman to another. He rested his head in his hand and tried not to look too bored as a fat rich man was complaining about that his neighbour had stolen some figs from his tree, while the neighbour denied, claiming that they were on his side of the border.  
Gaara cast an annoyed look at one of his workers, he couldn't believe that a stupid matter such as this had to be decided upon by the Pharaoh instead of the judge at the local Court, as the more simple citizens had to settle with. Stupid noblemen and their stupid demands...  
His thoughts began wandering as he watched the sunrays play over the glossy mosaic floor of the Great Hall. The light reminded him of Naruto.  
He held back another sigh as he raised his hand to order silence. ''Yamanaka-san is free of charge. Akamichi-san, cut those particular branches of your tree or replant it somewhere else. Next.''  
A scribe called out the names of the new nobles as well as their matters. Gaara held back a yawn as this was another feud that was deemed too important for a local Court. The young pharaoh began to play around with the thoughts of eliminating the nobles...or at least changing the laws concerning his precious time quite drastically.

 

***

 

Uchiha Sasuke walked with determined steps over the white plaza that led to the gigantic palace. There were obelisks that proclaimed the glory of Pharaoh and Suna on both sides of the road as well as tall sphinx statues. He had been here once before, when he was a child. His family had participated in a feast held by the former Pharaoh to celebrate all the years of the good fortune of the country. Not much had changed since then.  
He passed several lines of royal guards as he entered the white marble building and made his way towards the throne room. He had arrived at the capital city of Thebes the day before yesterday and had made an appointment to speak to the Pharaoh about important matters.  
The large cedar doors opened and a couple of noblemen walked out, greeting the Uchiha shortly before moving on. Sasuke was shown inside through the doors. Pharaoh sat on his throne at the other end of the room, looking very much as bored as Sasuke felt.  
A scribe introduced him to Pharaoh by reading from a papyrus roll, ''Uchiha Sasuke, of the city of Bubastis. Wishing the aid of the great Pharaoh to learn about the secrets of Sharingan.''  
Gaara raised one of his non-existent eyebrows, ''The Sharingan?''  
Sasuke fell to his knees in front of the throne and bowed his head in respect for the godly ruler.  
''Why are you so interested in a power of the Gods?'' Gaara questioned. He remembered that his old teacher had taught him about the special powers of each god. The Sharingan of Sekhmet, the Flight of Horus, the Fire of Anubis, the Sand of...  
''That is none of your concern.''  
A few of the guards raised their spears at the rude attitude from the young nobleman, but Gaara raised his hand to halt them before turning back to the black-haired young man in front of him whom still bowed his head in a sign of respect.  
''Oh, but it is my concern. If you wish to seek knowledge of the powers of the Gods, I have the right to know why and what for.''  
Sasuke clenched his teeth as he raised his head to look deep into Pharaoh's eyes, ''My reasons for seeking the knowledge of Sharingan are my own. I do not wish to share them with everyone in this hall.''  
Gaara held back a smirk as he watched the Uchiha's beautiful face, ''Very well then. I will allow you permission to enter my personal sections. We will continue this matter in private.''  
Gaara was intrigued; the Uchiha's story might be entertaining. He stood from his seat - to hell with the other nobles that waited for a moment of his time - and proceeded out through the smaller cedar doors on the wall behind his throne. He made his way through the long well-lit hallways that led to his chambers. Once he reached his door, he told his guards that he wanted to be alone with the nobleman whom would be escorted shortly.  
One of his advisors, Iruka, hurried towards him as he entered his chambers. Iruka scratched the scar over his nose out of habit as he spoke, ''My Lord, I really don't think it would be a good idea for you to be alone with Uchiha-san. For all we know he could be an impostor and assassin!''  
Gaara didn't even bother to glare at the man as he let his sand enclose itself around the advisor whom gulped with sudden fear.  
''I doubt I need guards and their spears to protect myself.''  
With that he entered his chambers, leaving Iruka behind, the sand slowly disappearing from the petrified advisor.

 

***

 

Two guards checked Sasuke for concealed weapons before they brought him to Pharaoh's chambers. They knocked on the door and waited for a reply before letting the young noble in. Gaara stood waiting in the middle of the huge and richly decorated room. The Uchiha entered, walking straight up to him. Pharaoh waved his guards away. When the doors were closed behind them, he turned his full attention to the raven haired boy before him.  
''I'm all ears. Now, tell me why you need to learn about the Sharingan?''  
Sasuke seemed to debate with himself for a moment before he replied, his black eyes staring straight into Pharaoh's. ''I do not wish to tell you why. I've studied as much as I've been able to at the temples of Sekhmet but I haven't gotten enough information. I want to know how to defeat a Sharingan user.''  
Gaara looked back at him steadily, ''I can't just tell you how it works. It takes a lot of time to master such techniques.''  
''Then I ask of you to teach me.''  
The redhead was amused. He had never met anyone who dared to be so direct with him before, ''Before I even consider your request, I need to know how far you are willing to go to get what you desire.''  
Sasuke's eyes never faltered as he spoke, ''I am willing to give up my estate, my land, my cattle, my entire fortune and my name. Will that please you?''  
Gaara was satisfied and nodded, ''I will give you a chance.'' He surprised even himself with that statement, but there was something about Sasuke he wanted to read further into. ''You will have to stay here for at least a year, in order to grasp the very basic techniques...''  
Satisfied with the answer, Sasuke bowed his head respectfully to look down at the floor, ''Thank you, my Lord.''  
Pharaoh watched as the pale boy's black hair fell forward and covered his face as he bowed. He licked his lips, ''I will have my servants show you to a vacant room.''

 

***

_''Sekhmet...not him.''  
The great lioness stopped her movements but didn't back away. Sasuke looked with huge and terrified eyes at his brother. What was happening? Why did his brother do this? He hyper-ventilated for a moment before he screamed with fright, turned and ran as fast as he could out of the house. He stumbled over the stairs that led down from the entrance and fell onto the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs. He hurried up to his feet again but didn't get far as the lioness blocked his path.  
He shivered from fear as he was face to face with her, her malicious yellow eyes staring into his black ones.  
''Little brother...''  
He could hear Itachi behind him but he didn't dare to look away, fearing that as soon as he did the lioness would rip him open.  
He started in surprise as he felt Itachi's hand on his shoulder. The older brother turned him around to face him. Itachi placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead before he leaned back and stared into Sasuke's black eyes with his own red ones that seemed to glow in the darkness surrounding them.  
Before Sasuke could begin to realise what happened, his world turned inside out, upside down and black and white. He could see how Itachi killed them...killed their family, relatives, everyone...and he could do nothing but stand there and scream in pain and horror as he watched his family die one by one by Itachi's hand. As every person fell, their bodies were mutilated by the vicious lioness that put her fangs and claws into the meat and pulled it to shreds.  
He could hear his brother's voice boom out from nowhere and everywhere at once, ''I did it. Not because I hated them, but to gain power. You have to be able to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to reach your ultimate goal.''  
With that, the sequence ended, leaving Sasuke standing alone on the road in front of his house just as before. The sweat poured down his back as he took shaky breaths.  
He tried to take a step forward, but his legs gave out and he fell again, screaming and crying out his anguish and pain._

 

Sasuke awoke with a start, his sweaty body damping the thin fabric that covered him as he sat up in his bed, panting heavily as he brought a hand up to move away the hair that stuck to his face. One would've thought that he'd stopped having that nightmare by now, but it returned to him every night. Every single night since that horrible thing happened when he was eight.  
Unable to go back to sleep, he stepped out of his bed and walked the short distance to the large window in his new room, where he had a view of the full moon reflecting itself in the River Nile that passed just behind the palace gardens. He let out a tired sigh as he rested his forehead onto the chilled stone that constructed the palace to cool himself off, closing his eyes as he tried to get the memories out of his head.

 

***

_Flashback_

13 years ago

Gaara was sitting outside the palace playing with the sand. He made it rise and fall, he built sandcastles and he squashed bugs with it, which was his favourite part of the game.   
He made the sand close in on an unsuspecting bug before closing his hand. When he did so, the sand pressed the insect to death.  
''Hey, Gaara, what are you doing?'' Kankurou emerged from the back of the big marble building. ''Looks like fun! Can I try?'' The brown-haired boy sat down beside his younger brother.  
''Sure. Just move the sand like this...'' Gaara gave a grasshopper a one-way ticket to the gods. Kankurou was amazed. He tried several times, concentrating as hard as he could, but the sand wouldn't move an inch.

***

''Mother?'' The red-haired boy pulled at his mother's golden-laced skirt.  
''Yes, Gaara-kun?'' she ruffled his hair and smiled.  
''Why can't Kankurou play like me?'' He looked at her with sad blue eyes.  
The Queen frowned and bent down in front of her son. ''You know what? I think we need to take a little trip.''

They left the estate for the city of Meidum the following week. The two were to travel by boat down the river. It was a beautiful day. Not too hot, but the sky was still blue and clear above them.  
They sat in the back of the large ship, backs resting against dark wood highlighted by golden symbols.  
''Where are we going?'' Gaara was impatient. He hadn't been outside of his family's properties many times. He kept looking around, asking about everything they passed. He stood up and ran to the men rowing the boat. When he started poking one of them, asking if he could row for a while, his mother chuckled.  
''You'll know where we're going soon enough. Come here.'' She patted the seat beside her. Her son reluctantly returned and sat next to her. ''I am going to tell you a story about the god named Set.  
 _Set was one of the four children of Geb and Nut, the God of Earth and the Goddess of Heaven. His older brother was named Osiris and their two sisters were named Isis and Nephtys. All of them were gifted with special powers.  
Osiris, who was Pharaoh before he was murdered and became the God of the Dead, had the ability to give extraordinary long life to the ones he loved and the ones who worshipped him. Isis, whom all women worship, became goddess of love and magic, motherhood and children, medicine and peace. Nephtys, the Great Lady of the House had magic that could heal any fatal wounds. Set became god of winds and storms as well as an evil spirit of destruction and disorder. But he is also called the Lord of the Red Land as he can control all of the desert sand as he wishes.  
Because Set was the younger brother he did not become Pharaoh, and thus was jealous of Osiris, he made plans to get rid of his brother and claim the throne for himself. So he threw a feast to honour Osiris, and his present to him was an astonishing golden coffin. He laughed and said that Osiris would only get the coffin if he could fit inside it. Osiris grinned and said that he very well could prove to his brother that the coffin suited him, but when he laid down in it, Set hurriedly pulled on the lid and nailed it shut.  
Together with his companions, Set threw the coffin into the River Nile, where it was attacked by hordes of hippos. Thinking that he had gotten rid of his brother, he could now claim the throne and become Pharaoh. But Osiris' wife and sister, Isis, searched desperately for her husband. She found bits and pieces of the coffin and the body that had been within it throughout all of Suna. She collected all the pieces of Osiris and used her magic to give him his life again, and they created a child named Horus. But Osiris was too weak to take back his title as Pharaoh, and thus became the God of the Dead in the Underworld.  
Isis raised Horus in a small village in Suna, afraid that Set would kill him if he found out about the child. But when Horus became old enough, he went to the palace to challenge his uncle for the rights to the throne. Set was not willing to give up his title, and fought with Horus with everything he had but in the end lost to Horus, whom now is the God of Pharaohs.''_  
Gaara looked at his mother in amazement. ''Mother?'' He squirmed in his seat.  
''Yes?'' The Queen answered.  
''Why can I move sand like Set?'' The boy felt troubled. He didn't want to be associated with such an evil god. His mother didn't reply to that. She just wrapped an arm around her son while a single tear escaped her eye.

***

''Your Majesty? We have reached our destination.''  
The Queen swept her gaze over the vast sand dynes of Meidum. The sun was setting, which gave the scene a golden glow, its light reflecting like silver in the water around the ship. She smiled and laid a hand on her sleeping son's back. ''Wake up, darling. We're here.''  
Gaara yawned and sat up. He gasped as he saw their stunning surroundings.   
He took his mother's hand and they stepped onto the landing.  
After a short journey inland by carriage, the royalty reached The Temple of Set. It was magnificent. The white stone walls stretched high into the sky, the entrance framed by large sculptures of the god. The Queen had made sure that she and her son would have the temple to themselves that day, except for the priests that took care of the sanctuary. She had guards positioned all around the building, ready to interfere if needed. Gaara followed her inside. They were met by the High Priest, who bowed his head in respect to the royalties. He cleared his throat. ''Follow me to the shrine, your majesty.'' His voice resounded strongly in the otherwise so quiet hall.  
They walked along the main hallway, their steps echoing against the naked walls. The priest halted by a dark and heavy wooden door. The Queen pressed her son's hand gently as the man opened it. It swung open unexpectedly easily, the golden hinges working without a sound.  
''After you.'' The Priest bowed again and stepped aside to let his guests enter the room behind the door.  
The Queen turned to her astounded son and whispered softly to him. ''There is someone in here who wants to meet you alone. Don't be afraid, he won't hurt you. I will wait for you right outside.'' She didn't wait for an answer, but followed the High Priest back out and left Gaara alone.  
He stood still for a while, taking in the atmosphere. He felt calm. Not scared at all. The room was filled with statues of Set, hieroglyphs and relieves that decorated the walls told a story roughly like the one his mother had told him on the ship. He understood that this was a shrine in the god's honour and he knew in his mind that he was not alone, although he was the only human being there.  
The young boy walked to the middle of the chamber and fell to his knees. He closed his eyes and leaned forward until his forehead rested against the lacquered floorboards.  
A vibration filled the air and Gaara looked up. His breath hitched as he lifted his gaze. The god of destruction, Set himself stood before him, his doglike features almost shimmering in the dimly lit chamber.  
''Welcome to my domains, young prince.'' Set's voice was roaring like thunder. The boy opened his mouth to answer, but no words passed his trembling lips. The god's yellow eyes seemed to pierce and slice through the air between them as they fixed on Gaara's. ''I have chosen thee to bear my heritage'', Set continued, apparently unaware of the child's reaction. ''Thou shall build a monument in my honour and execute my will on this Earth, and in return, I shall reward thee with my power and assistance.''  
Gaara finally regained control of his vocal chords. ''Why me?'' he murmured. ''I don't want...''  
The deity increased in mass and the small boy felt surrounded, trapped. ''It is not thy choice to make!'' The temple shook at his words and Gaara fell to the floor again. He covered his head with his arms and started sobbing.  
As the building stilled, the commanding voice had changed. ''I have given thee my strength. While under my surveillance, there will be no enemy too strong for thee to overpower, no chaos too wild to control.'' Gaara felt himself being lifted to his feet. ''Use my gifts wisely. Do not exploit them, for I will be watching.'' When the boy dared to open his eyes, he was all alone, his whimpers echoing throughout the vast chamber.

***

10 years ago

Naruto sprawled out on the green grass of the river banks after a long swim, letting the summer sun dry his wet naked body. Pharaoh didn't know that he used to sneak out from the palace and fool all those guards that followed him, and even though he felt bad for running away at times he just couldn't help but relish in the feeling of freedom every once in a while. He knew he wasn't part of any noble family, nor was he the child of the people that worked in the palace. He always found it so strange that the great Pharaoh had him guarded like he was some animal that would bite the hands that fed him at any time. Escaping the guards wasn't difficult, he had long ago figured out how to trick them into believing he was in his small room, taking a nap.  
He rolled over to let the sun tan his back and he closed his eyes as he almost purred with contentment. That was until a big shadow blocked the sunshine. He frowned and looked up, only to see one of the royal guards, a big, bulky man with his hand twitching on the handle of his sword, stand next to him.  
''Uh oh...''  
''Uzumaki-san, I must ask you to follow me.''  
''No way! I'm tired of being in the palace!'' the young blond whined.  
''Either you come with me freely or I must bring you with me by force.''  
''You've gotta catch me first!''  
The boy set off in a swift run but the guard was surprisingly fast for a man his size and it didn't take long before he tackled the blond and held the tip of the sword against him. Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he saw the weapon aimed at him, but as quickly as his shock came it was replaced by anger. He showed his sharp teeth as he narrowed his eyes, and before either of them realised it, the boy knocked away the sword with one arm while his other sent a fist straight towards the guard's face. The large man dodged the attack, his face red with fury.  
''You little...!'' He gritted his teeth. Forgetting his duties to keep the boy safe, the guard delivered a hard blow to Naruto's head with the handle of the sword.

***

He slowly opened his eyes only to face darkness.  
 _'Have they locked me up?'_  
He could hear some strange sounds coming from some distance, though he could not tell if it was to his left or right, or even behind him or above. It sort of sounded like a heartbeat.  
He sat up, surprised at not feeling any sort of pain from the hit he took. When he stood, he could distinguish a faint light to his left. Giving in to his curiosity, he walked towards the light but came to an abrupt halt as he saw a large cage in front of him, the roof of the cage was so far up he couldn't see it no matter how hard he tried. What was this kind of place they had left him in?  
He carefully stepped towards the large iron bars of the cage. The cool metal felt as if it stung his skin, and he retracted his hand.  
A large red orb came into view on the other side of the bars and Naruto yelped in surprise as he fell backwards, crawling a little to get further away.  
 _'So you have found your way here, kit.'_ Naruto could only stare with his mouth wide open as the orb turned out to be a red eye of some sort of creature. _'Why so shocked?'_ The pupil of the eye contracted. _'You must have felt my presence many times.'_  
Naruto's mouth moved but he couldn't form any words, it was as if he had forgotten all about language and vocabulary. He could only stare in fright as the creature turned his head straight towards him so he could look into both eyes on each side of a long snout. The creature grinned, showing off his large razor sharp teeth.  
 _'Come closer, boy. Let me have a look at my so-called vessel.'_  
The blond boy hesitantly got onto his legs and moved slowly towards the cage and the giant monster within it, whom let its wicked eyes roam over Naruto's body.  
The monster snorted, was _this_ the body that held him captive? The young boy was short and skinny, with wild blonde hair and blue naive eyes. On each cheek were three whisker-like markings, most probably because of the demon sealed within. It seemed like a joke, that a weak boy such as this could house him and all his malevolent power.  
Naruto seemed to have gotten some sense back into him. He tilted his head slightly to the side as he observed the creature.  
''What are you?''  
The demon looked insulted, and Naruto didn't know if he should back away for safety or laugh at the face it made.  
 _'I am Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Demon of the East'_ , it growled, sending shivers up Naruto's spine. He lowered his head to the ground so he could stare into Naruto's eyes. _'I am the one that has felt your every emotion. I am the one that has whispered words of action into your ear. I am the one who forces you into battle. Fight and become strong, boy, for I will not be locked inside a weak human!'_  
The demon spit out the last words with an angry roar as he slammed all of his nine tails against the bars. The cage shook from the force but didn't yield.

***

8 years ago

Sasuke sat on the steps to the Inuzuka estate, where he got to stay until he was ready to stay alone at his own house. His face was hidden in his arms that rested upon his raised knees and sobs wrecked his small body as he tried the hardest he could to hold back his tears. Kiba and his family were asleep as it was deep into the night and it wouldn't take long before the birds would wake up and start their morning hymns. But Sasuke was plagued night after night by the scenario Itachi had shown him and was unable to stay asleep for very long. Akamaru laid by his feet, the puppy could feel Sasuke's sorrow and followed him outside every night to keep him company.  
Soon the sobbing stopped and Sasuke dried the tears that had stubbornly fell down his cheeks with the back of his hands. The night air was chilly and he was freezing. He was about to stand up and walk inside when Akamaru suddenly growled at something by the Inuzuka's gardens. For a moment Sasuke feared that it was his brother coming back to finish him off but a sudden sense of calmness wrapped around him and he halted his movements. The puppy by his feet had stopped growling and listened intently at something that the boy couldn't hear. The white dog looked up at Sasuke before walking towards the gardens. Sasuke hesitated for a moment before he followed.  
The closer he got to the gardens, the more safe he felt. He barely flinched when he heard a deep voice speak softly to him.  
''Your brother is a horrendous traitor. Not only to the Uchiha clan, but to me as well.''  
Sasuke turned to face Anubis, who walked towards him. Anubis had the head of a black jackal and the body of an adult man. Catching himself staring at the god, Sasuke quickly fell to his knees with his head bowed.  
''I understand and share your feeling of loss, but you should find strength in your sorrow. Turn it into the blackest hatred, and you will grow more powerful by the day. I need for you to avenge your brother's actions. Here is a gift from me to help you achieve that goal.''  
Sasuke was confused at the God's last sentence, but before he got to ask what He had meant, a tickling sensation filled his throat, making him cough. He covered his mouth with his hand but quickly removed it when he could feel the heat of fire against it. He looked up at Anubis with large questioning eyes, at the moment forgetting that it was disrespectful to look a God in the face.  
''This is the Element of Fire. Use it wisely, young Uchiha.''

_/End flashback_


	3. Chapter 3

It was early in the morning, the sun had just appeared in the sky after the night and although most of the royalties that lived in the palace were still sleeping, people walked around, starting to do their daily duties. Servants hurried to get their morning tasks done, guards changed shifts and the chefs began to prepare Pharaoh's breakfast. Outside the royal estates the birds sang as the farmers continued to harvest their crops before the Nile would start rising and cover the fields with its life-giving water.

Uchiha Sasuke got dressed in his knee-long kilt and stepped out through the door of his small room. He could see the men that guarded the large doors to Pharaoh's personal sections slightly down the hall.

He walked down the stairs and out to the garden, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air as his bare feet were caressed by the green grass he stood upon. No one but Pharaoh himself as well as a select few - including a gardener every now and then, of course - were allowed to be there, but Sasuke had gotten Gaara's permission to perform his daily workout exercises there.

The private gardens were covering a large area. Along one of the surrounding walls of the royal estate was an enormous swimming pool filled with clear blue water in which pink lotus flowers floated around. The other side consisted of an orchard filled with trees carrying every kind of fruit known to man. In the middle of the garden was a giant maze. It stretched far and wide and almost seemed to beg its viewers to come inside and be swallowed by it. The private section of the garden came to an end by the palace; on either side of the building the gardens stretched into allotments where the slaves and cooks grew the vegetables and the Royal healers produced the herbs they used for the royal family's medical potions. These parts reached to the front of the estate, where they came to an end as a smaller wall separated them from the guards' quarters.

Sasuke could feel eyes upon him and assuming it was the guards and servants from inside the palace he made his way around the maze to get some privacy and continue with his training.

Two hours passed and although Sasuke could keep going for another two hours, he decided that it was enough for the morning and started to stretch out his limbs. He turned around to head back to the palace for a quick bath before eating breakfast when he spotted a blond young man, about a head shorter than himself leaning against the marble walls, his arms crossed over his chest and with a playful grin on his lips.

''Hey there, what's up?'' Sasuke rolled his eyes at the other boy's 'salute'. He didn't know who the blond was and he didn't care, so he just kept on walking. Naruto stepped out in front of the irritated brunette, offering his right hand. ''I'm Naruto.''

Sasuke reluctantly took the other's hand and shook it. ''My name is Uchiha Sasuke, and if you'll excuse me, I have things to do.''

Naruto ignored him completely. ''I haven't seen you here before. Who are you?''

The taller boy sighed audibly as he understood he wasn't going to get away that easily. 'I just told you. I am Uchi-''

He was interrupted by the blond. ''Yeah I know, dattebayo. I mean, why are you here? Pharaoh doesn't let just anyone in on his property. How did you get passed the guards?''

Sasuke did not like being questioned. ''I didn't. I live here.'' Naruto gaped. The brunette saw his chance and tried to start walking again, but a tanned hand flew out and landed on his chest, stopping him abruptly. Sasuke stared at it for a few seconds, surprise showing in his eyes for a split second before they turned darker than their normal shade of black. ''Do. Not. Touch. Me'', he almost growled.

Naruto quickly removed his hand and scratched his neck in an apologetic gesture. ''Sorry, sorry. I'm just curious. Pharaoh doesn't get new apprentices every day, you know. 'Cause I guess that's what you are? His apprentice?'' He felt a bit jealous. He didn't like the thought of Gaara training with someone else, knowing what it could lead to. And this guy wasn't ugly. Quite the opposite. Sasuke's ivory skin and raven hair made him unusually attractive. Naruto looked away.

''Yeah. I guess I am.'' Sasuke noticed the change in the shorter boy's expression, but he wasn't interested in what it meant. Instead, he stepped aside and continued on his way back to the palace.

 

Gaara frowned and stepped away from his window. He had been too far away to hear what Naruto and Sasuke was talking about, but he felt furious. Why had Naruto touched him like that? And why didn't the Uchiha smack him in the face for it? The Pharaoh paced back and forth in his chamber, not knowing how to react. 

He tried to calm down, telling himself that he was the most powerful man in the country, and that Naruto wouldn't dare to betray him. It didn't work. He went downstairs to have breakfast, but when he couldn't see either of the boys on his way down, he turned and called for one of his guards. ''Send Naruto to my room. I need to discuss some important matters with him. Immediately.''

 

***

 

''Your majesty.'' Naruto bowed his head in respect as he appeared in Gaara's doorway. ''You wanted to see me?''

The redhead took two long strides forward and stepped close to his inferior. ''Get in here'', he breathed the words against Naruto's neck before reaching behind him to push the door closed.

The blond could actually feel Gaara's anger pulsating through the air around them. He swallowed hard and followed the other into the room as he became more and more nervous. He tried to think of a reason why his Pharaoh was so mad at him, but he couldn't find a single one. He was just about to ask, when he found his mouth occupied. Gaara kissed him ferociously, pushing his head back. Naruto responded to the kiss, but failed to keep up with the Pharaoh as he moved forward, taking them both closer to the white wall. The blond felt the cool stone against his bare back and grunted in protest when the other boy kept pushing him into it.

Gaara parted their lips long enough to give Naruto a glare filled with anger and lust. The mixture of emotions sent a chill down Naruto's spine. ''Do not try to reject me'', Gaara's voice was monotonous. ''Don't touch him. Touch me.''

The emphasis on the last word was enhanced further when Gaara grabbed Naruto's shoulders and jerked him forward a couple of inches, then back again. There was a dull thump as the shorter boy's head hit the sandstone behind him. He winced, but stayed silent. He understood now why his master was angry, and he knew he had to endure whatever punishment he deserved.

Gaara felt discouraged when the other boy didn't respond with anything but a confused look. He took a step back and turned away. ''I should have known...'', he whispered to himself. HIS Naruto had turned against him. And why? Because of that pitiful Sasuke. He clenched his fists as hate and anger towards the Uchiha rose in his icy blue eyes. He was just about to launch out the door to annihilate the brunette when he heard a hesitating voice.   
''I apologize, your Majesty. I didn't mean to offend you.'' The redhead stopped abruptly and returned to hear his lover's side of the story. ''I... I was just... we didn''t...'' Naruto was a bit afraid now, and he stumbled over his own words when he wanted to reassure the Pharaoh that nothing had happened between him and Sasuke earlier.

Gaara's anger subsided when he observed the other boy's sincerely regretful expression. He interrupted Naruto's stuttering. ''Just don't ever touch him again.''

The blond relaxed.

''Of course. Never.''

''Now...'', the Pharaoh smirked. ''I think I recall ordering you to touch me.''

Naruto smirked right back. ''Yes. I suppose you did.''

He had never been asked to touch his Pharaoh before, and he didn't really know how the boy wanted to be touched, considering that Gaara had always been the one calling the shots when they had sex. 

He splayed his fingers across his superior's chest and caressed the firm muscles. He could feel the boy breathing. 

Naruto unbuckled Gaara's kilt with his other hand, and when the Pharaoh did nothing to stop him, he let it fall to the floor. He felt a thrill at the new situation, and stepped even closer to Gaara, pressing their bodies together, as his hands roamed freely over the boy's steadily rising and falling chest and deliciously toned thighs.   
The redhead stood silent, closing his eyes to sharpen his other senses. His breath hitched when one of Naruto's hands closed around his arousal. He lowered his head to kiss the blond and couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.

Naruto actually blushed and lowered his eyes. In a sudden boost of boldness, he fell to his knees and licked the top of Gaara's erection before taking it into his mouth. The Pharaoh moaned and looked down at his inferior. What he saw added to the sensations overflowing his mind, and he made a shallow thrust into the wonderful wetness and warmth that was Naruto.

The blond gagged slightly at that, but he loved the fact that it was him who made Gaara moan and shiver, so he tried to open his throat further to enhance the Pharaoh's pleasure.

The redhead dared to thrust yet a little deeper. When he did so, he could feel Naruto sucking and licking him generously. He breathed heavily, his fingernails digging into Naruto's shoulders. The next time he pushed forward, the other boy sucked hard while pressing his tongue against Gaara's entire length. The taller boy let out a scream of satisfaction as he came hard into Naruto's waiting mouth. The blond swallowed as Gaara fell to his knees, forehead resting against his shoulder. ''You're mine. All mine'', he panted.

 

***

 

Gaara watched Sasuke with an unreadable expression as he let the High Priestess of Sekhmet speak of the secrets of the Sharingan, which not even nobles or most royalties got to have access to. Sasuke gave the middle-aged woman all of his attention, letting all the new information sink in. This added information was necessary in order to let Pharaoh train the Uchiha how to beat the Goddess' technique.

There were no doubts in Gaara's mind that the boy was gorgeous. His skin was pale despite him living in such a warm country, perhaps he spent more time indoors or maybe he just did not get a tan. But he did not like the fact that he, Pharaoh, was being completely ignored in favour of a priestess.

_Pharaoh had sent for the High Priestess of Sekhmet at the temple of Sekhtor right after he had taken the young Uchiha in. It had taken her about a week to travel up the Nile to the capital city to reveal all she knew of Sekhmet's technique Sharingan to Pharaoh and Sasuke. They held their meeting in one of Gaara's smaller rooms of his chambers, where they would be able to have complete privacy._

_Gaara didn't pay the priestess much attention, he spent the entire sessions with watching the pale boy that soaked up the information the middle-aged woman gave. Pharaoh was contemplating if he should continue with what he had gotten himself in to or if he should just get rid of Sasuke, now that he posed a threat to his and Naruto's ''relationship''. Still, Gaara felt that he couldn't refuse his lover the opportunities to see the other boy, since there weren't many young people in the estate. Most of the servants and guards were about twice their age, and although Gaara's father had sired many children, Gaara only let his older brother Kankurou continue to live in the palace as his other siblings had fought with him over the title as Pharaoh after their father died._

_Kankurou had, strangely enough, never shown any interest what so ever in ruling the desert. He preferred 'playing' with the bodies of whoever crossed Gaara's path. He had an eerie habit of extracting their internal organs and modifying their joints, before filling the hollow corpses with all sorts of devices. One of his favourite things to put in them was weapons, such as poison-tipped daggers and arrows. He used the bodies as puppets whenever his brother needed some help protecting the country borders against intruders._

_Kankurou was a master puppeteer. He moved his marionettes by black magic, which he had studied since before he could walk. He could control them easily with minimal movements of his fingers, and he had never missed a target._

Sasuke stood from where he'd been sitting during the High Priestess' lecture to thank her solemnly before she left. Gaara uncrossed his arms and stepped from the doorway to let her pass.

''I hope you were listening, Uchiha'', he muttered. ''We will start the training first thing tomorrow morning. You will spar against Naruto.''

Sasuke nodded sharply. ''Yes. Thank you, your highness.'' He mentally snorted at that. _Sparring Naruto? The Pharaoh must really dislike the kid.'_

***

 

This morning began like every other morning for Sasuke. Before the sun rose above the horizon he got himself ready to go out for training. But unlike any other time the past years, he would spar against another.

A weak-looking blond boy.

He didn't know if he should be offended or laugh at the insanity, but he was sure as hell going to show Pharaoh how strong he was. He could beat that kid in a heart-beat.

He ran a finger through his thick black hair as he went out to the garden. He almost halted in surprise as he saw Gaara and Naruto wait for him. It had never crossed his mind that they would be up earlier than him.

''Good morning, Uchiha.'' Gaara's hair glimmered like fresh blood in the day's first sunrays as he spoke. ''I have helped Naruto get warmed up, so he's ready to start. I suggest you get ready as well.''

Sasuke smirked as he got closer.

''I am ready. I don't need to warm-up, I will trash him before you know it.''

Naruto and Gaara exchanged an amused look and the blond tried hard not to smile deviously. ''All right, then. Let the training begin!''

At the Pharaoh's words, Sasuke simply stood in position, waiting for Naruto to make a move. His opponent flexed his fingers and cracked the vertebras in his neck, froze for a moment before launching at the pale boy with a roar.

Sasuke ducked out of the way and proceeded to high-kick the back of Naruto's head as he went by, but missed the target completely; barely touching the other's bright hair. He was slightly taken aback which Naruto used to his advantage as he quickly turned to place a powerful blow to Sasuke's abdomen.

Sasuke landed hard on the soft grass, spitting out some blood before gazing up at the other boys. Gaara had a shadow of a self-satisfactory smirk on his face. Naruto showed off a huge, bright grin as he rubbed the back of his head with a hand out of habit.

''I didn't hurt you, did I?'' he asked.

Sasuke seethed at those words but forced himself to keep himself somewhat calm. He had underestimated the boy, but he himself had yet to show his true strength. He wiped the blood away from his lips with the back of his wrist and using his full speed he moved up towards Naruto to deliver a punch to his face. Naruto's head whipped to the side from the blow, his jaw almost dislocated.

''Not more than I hurt you'', Sasuke muttered as he immediately followed up by elbowing the upper part of Naruto's spine, making the blond bend over just in time to meet a hard knee.

Gaara simply stood passively, his arms still crossed over his chest and the smirk still almost showing. Naruto let Sasuke get a few hits in. He only played with the other boy, making him feel the rush of having the victory so clear in his hands only to be destroyed a few moments later, and this knowledge made the young Pharaoh lick his lips in anticipation.

Sasuke continued to kick and punch the other, adrenaline and no longer withheld fury clouding his senses, which made him stop in confusion when his latest punch didn't connect with the other's skull. Quickly jumping a few steps back in order to get a distance from where he fought Naruto, he looked around but couldn't see him anywhere. Pharaoh still stood where he'd last saw him.

Without warning, a hand grabbed his leg and he got thrown in full speed into the marble wall of the palace, leaving cracks and dents in it before falling down to the ground with a loud thud. Before he could recover or even realise what had happened, he got slung away again, this time landing on his back right by Pharaoh's feet.

His confused eyes looked straight into Pharaoh's. What the hell happened??

Pharaoh laughed hard, and Sasuke felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. He slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, careful not to do any sudden moves in case something was broken. His mouth was filled with blood which he spitted out. He grimaced as he tried to move in order to stand up, his whole body felt so tender and numb and he was sure he was going to be covered in bruises for the next couple of days.

Two bare feet entered his vision and his eyes followed the long tanned legs up until he could look into Naruto's face. Naruto's unscratched face. The boy had some blood and a few bruises covering his body, but nothing was as bad as it should have been from the way Sasuke had hurt him.

Gaara smirked at the defeated boy as he slowly rouse from the ground.

''You lack tactics'', he stated, not caring at all for the disgraced look he received from the other. ''Your movements are too sloppy and you lose your focus. Tell me, Uchiha... How do you expect to defeat a Sharingan user at your current level?''


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this chapter we found out that the kilt-thingy that the Egyptians wore are called schenti. We're adding the description of it here as well as on the first chapter (once we've fixed it) so you're not completely confused as of what we mean!  
>  **Schenti:** Kilt-type clothing in Ancient Egypt. Long schentis can reach down to the feet and short schentis around the knees. Could be made of cotton, silk and animal hide/fur.
> 
>  
> 
> Warning for non-con in this chapter!!

Sasuke literally fumed as he recalled the Pharaoh's words. Sloppy moves and lack of tactics... But Pharaoh was right. If Sasuke couldn't beat that annoying kid, how would he ever stand a chance against Itachi?  
He let his fist hit the palm tree that he had been abusing for the last few hours, the wood cracking under the force of his hand but still remaining somewhat intact, which drove the boy to become more forceful. He roared in anger as he drove another punch into the tree, breaking it in half.  
As the upper half came crashing hard onto the sandy shores, Sasuke felt the presence of someone coming closer to him.  
''Abusing trees isn't really the best form of training, dattebayo.''  
Sasuke held back a frustrated sigh as he turned around to face the blond, ''Perhaps not, but it lets off some steam.''  
Naruto smirked and was about to mention a better way to do so, but quickly changed his mind as he rubbed the back of his head as he looked around.  
Sasuke had left the palace after the humiliating defeat that morning in order to train by himself in a place where he couldn't be disturbed; a rarely visited part of the Nile shores a few miles from the South docks by the outskirts of the city. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek in thought as his eyes went back to Sasuke, whom had crossed his arms and apparently waited for Naruto to say something or leave.  
''I have a proposition for you.''  
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.  
''Pharaoh has started to lose his interest in you. From what he knows of the Sharingan, he doesn't think that you will stand a chance.'' Seeing Sasuke get irritated and about to tell him off, Naruto held up his hands, ''Hold on, let me finish, dattebayo! If I spar against you frequently, there's no doubt you'll get better. There's a reason why I'm the one closest to Pharaoh'', he added as an afterthought.  
Sasuke pondered the situation. Naruto had a point, if he sparred against him his skills would evolve quicker than training by himself. But no one wanted something for free. Naruto must have some sort of hatch in order to propose a thing like this. But he couldn't afford to lose Pharaoh's help with his cause.  
''Fine.'' He positioned himself in a fighting stance.  
Naruto smiled, his blue eyes squinting 'til they were just half-moon shaped lines on his face.  
''Eager to get down to business, I see?''  
Sasuke smirked then advanced on the other.

 

***

 

This fight lasted longer than their earlier sparring had done, mostly because Naruto held back on his strength despite Sasuke's furious attempts to make him let go of all restraints. But the raven-haired boy had to admit defeat when his body refused to obey him and he collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.  
Naruto sat down next to him, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand as he looked out over the sparkling blue water of the river. Loud rumblings from their bellies were heard and neither boy could help but laugh.  
''Ah man, I'm so hungry'', Naruto whined as he lied down on the warm sand and wrapped his arms around his stomach. Sasuke briefly wondered how that annoying kid could possibly be the extreme fighter he was. ''It'll take an hour to get back home. Why did you have to wander so far away, dattebayo??''  
Sasuke simply huffed as he tried to stand up, only to fall back again from fatigue. Naruto couldn't help but giggle, which earned him a cold stare.  
''Haha, ah man, good thing I always have a few coins in my pocket, ne?'' Naruto said as he patted the small bag on the belt around his waist. He jumped to his feet and dusted the sand off his previously-white schenti. ''Let's go and get something to eat on our way back.''  
He reached out a hand which the Uchiha hesitantly accepted.  
They slowly made their way into the city, Naruto leading the way to a small stand that sold delicious noodles before they continued. When the enormous palace was within sight, Naruto stopped.  
''I just remembered I gotta do something. You can go ahead. And Sasuke...'' Naruto bit his lip nervously, ''don't tell anyone we were out and sparred.''  
With that, his face changed into that happy and carefree expression that he usually showed as he waved a bye and turned to head into another direction. Sasuke watched him go for a moment, thinking over the last bit he had said, becoming more intrigued with the reason behind the blond's urge to help him.

''Gaara!'' The boy heard his name being whispered somewhere near his head.  
He lifted an eyelid and groaned at his brother. ''What?'' his voice was deep and muffled due to the fact that he didn't bother raising his head from the pillow.  
''I made another puppet!'' Kankurou was excited. ''You have to come look at it!''  
''Not now, Kanku, it's in the middle of the night and I need my rest.'' Gaara was always the first to see his brother's works, and he usually enjoyed watching as the puppeteer demonstrated all the witty traps and weapons he had hid in the bodies.  
''So what? It's not like you were sleeping anyways...'' An icy blue eye framed in black fixed on Kankurou's disappointed face. It was true that Gaara wasn't sleeping. He never slept.  
''Oh all right. Where is it?'' He sat up and ran a hand through his silky crimson hair.  
The young pharaoh contemplated what people would think if they saw him and Kankurou now. His brother was holding him by the hand as they ran through the dark and silent palace. They avoided all the guarded areas, and moved swiftly without a sound. Gaara smiled as his brother pulled him along. This was so unlike him, but he knew how much Kankurou appreciated his input regarding the puppets, and he was not about to let his older brother down. Besides, it was thrilling to act like an intruder in his own home, trying not to be seen by any of the many people patrolling the hallways at night.  
It was not like anything would actually happen if they were spotted. No one dared to mention seeing Gaara and his brother running hand in hand with foolish smiles on their faces. Joking about the Pharaoh meant signing their own death sentence.  
All of that went through the younger boy's mind as they rounded another corner and ended up in a small space that led to a flight of stairs. There was a small hidden passageway under those stairs and while Kankurou stopped and let go of Gaara's hand, he mumbled spells to reveal the opening.  
There was a low creaking sound as they were granted access. The area behind the hidden door was unlike any other place on the estate. The floor was made of black stone, as well as the walls, which were covered with sketches of weapons and technical designs. There was an enormous box in one of the corners. That was where Kankurou kept his finished marionettes.  
The thing that caught Gaara's eye that night was a table standing by the only window. Something big was lying on top of it, covered by a linen cloth.  
''Behold!'' Kankurou grabbed a handful of the fabric and tugged at it. The solemn atmosphere was brutally crashed when instead of unveiling the puppet, all the boy managed to do was rip off a shred of linen. He cursed under his breath and Gaara smirked as he approached his brother. He stepped in to the moonlight seeping from the window so that the pale radiance reflected in his crimson hair, making it glow like fresh blood.  
''Yeah brother, that's quite a good-looking piece of...'' he started laughing softly before finishing the sentence. Kankurou glared at the pathetic strip in his hand and ripped it in half.  
''I should have seen that coming. This one gave me a hard time from day one.'' He felt the pharaoh's hand on his shoulder and couldn't help but laughing himself.  
''Okay, okay, let's do it together.'' They joined forces and pulled the cloth away.  
Both boys fell silent as the puppet's blonde hair and well-built limbs made its former identity evident to the pharaoh. His voice was filled with admiration as his eyes met those of his brother.  
''You were right, Kanku... this truly is your greatest work yet.''

 

***

 

Two weeks went by, and every day Naruto and Sasuke made their way to the secluded shoreline, away from prying eyes. Naruto was proud of his work; the changes in Sasuke were clear. The raven-haired young man fought with more focus and strength, and had almost triumphed over him a few times.  
After each sparring they would go to the noodle stand to eat and talk. Well, Naruto did the talking. Sasuke was fine with just listening to what the other had to say, which surprised him in the beginning since he never bothered to listen to anyone except Kiba for the past years. But in some way he felt relaxed in Naruto's presence. The blond had to work hard for it, but eventually he succeeded in making Sasuke smile, but what shocked the Uchiha even more was when he found himself laughing with Naruto over some joke he couldn't recall.  
Neither of them ever noticed the man that spied on them at a distance, observing their every move through his telescopic lens.  
''Well, well...'', the white-haired man muttered to himself as he continued to spy. He smirked as Naruto leaned closer to Sasuke''s face as he adjusted in his seat, and the Uchiha didn't seem to mind the closing-in at all, and even smiled as he replied to something that the blond had just said. When nothing more dramatic took place, the man watched them for another few minutes before heading off to report to Pharaoh.

Naruto laughed hard at the story he just told Sasuke, about one of the times he had tried to escape from the Royal guards that were ordered to watch him when he was a kid, only to make them chase after him until he lure them out onto some farm where they slipped and fell head first into cow droppings.  
Despite himself Sasuke couldn't help but smile and chuckle slightly as the other one cheerfully went on with his tale. Naruto shifted on his stool again as his butt started to get numb from sitting still for too long, and just like earlier he leaned close towards Sasuke in order to get in a more comfortable position on the wooden chair. Sasuke found himself holding his breath as he saw that tanned face coming closer towards his, closer than before, and he froze. He wanted to lean back or smack the blond hard for daring to enter his personal space, but at the same time he found himself imagining what Naruto's lips would taste like.  
Sasuke frowned. Shouldn't Naruto have found a comfortable spot by now? So why was his face still so close to his? He raised his black eyes from the soft-looking lips to meet the sky-blue gaze.  
''Ne, Sasuke... You finished yet? I can't sit here for a minute longer!''  
Naruto fought hard to keep the smirk off his face as he watched with innocent eyes as Sasuke stood up from the chair.  
''Yeah, I'm done. Let's go back.''

 

''He did WHAT!?'' Gaara scowled at Jiraiya who sat at the opposite side of a robust table.  
The white hair bobbed up and down as the large man nodded enthusiastically. ''Yes, I saw them with my own two eyes. Your servant was kissing your apprentice! They were all hot and bothered...''  
Gaara didn't know what he should do first. Smash Sasuke and burn his intestines or find Naruto and lock him up until he died from famine. He was just about to bolt out the door when he noticed that his spy had stopped talking.  
''Jiraiya... Keep watching them. I have a plan.'' He took three deep breaths and counted to ten before tossing a few golden coins across the table. ''Same time next week. And I want details.''

 

''You may enter.'' Two days had passed since Jiraiya's last report to the Pharaoh. He had spent the last 48 hours finishing the details of his plan. Sasuke approached him from behind and Gaara didn't turn around. ''Follow me, Sasuke. We're training in the maze tonight.'' Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise. That was a first. He knew about the privacy that maze provided and he suspected that they were about to do some secret practice dealing with the Sharingan.  
It was full moon and the air was a bit chilly around the two young men as they approached the dark green hedges. The entrance was somewhat lit by two torches in stands on each side. The flames made the maze itself seem even darker, and Sasuke felt a little uneasy as they stepped in between the towering shrubs.  
He cleared his throat.  
''Pharaoh...'' He hesitated. ''Am I going to practice my techniques against the Sharingan?'' To his amazement, Gaara laughed. A cold and empty kind of laughter that seemed to seep right in to Sasuke's marrow.  
''Well, let's just say we are going to work on your endurance and maybe your defence. If I give you a chance to do so.''  
They reached the sandy pit in the middle of the thorny hedges as the moon hit zenith. The air was still except for their breathing. Sasuke's light and shallow, Gaara's heavy and deep.  
''Now, I want you to try and escape me when I go after you with my sand. There are no rules here. I know you and Naruto have been 'training'...'' He put a lot of sarcasm into the word, '...and I want to know how good you've become.''  
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at Pharaoh's words. How had he found out? Gaara stepped back a few feet and the brunette heard the sand shift around his ankles. There was no time to think about that now. He had to make his move. Sasuke dashed towards the way out of the center in order to escape the sand that followed him with a tremendous speed. He had heard tales of how Pharaoh had demolished enemies by crushing them with the sand, and he didn't want to find out if the rumours were true. Hoping that he wouldn't run into a dead end as he quickly jolted into another long corridor, he sped up but the sand was still right behind him, touching his heels as he had to slow down by a sharp curve.  
But as the curve ended he almost stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him was another opening into the maze's center - and Pharaoh stood there, smirking at him. The sand came rushing up behind him, and acting on quick reflexes he brought his fingers to his mouth as he took a deep breath. As he exhaled, a large burst of flame escaped his throat and made its way towards Gaara, burning whatever piece of the hedge that was within its reach.  
The redhead was caught off guard but quickly came to his senses and formed a wall of sand between him and the fireball.  
_'What the...'_  
His heart was pounding hard in his chest as he tried to comprehend what just happened. How did the Uchiha come across the powers of Anubis? Gaara knew that controlling fire was one of the most dangerous weapons known to man, and it was not something anyone could just learn by themselves. These thoughts had him losing focus on Sasuke for a split second. That second was all Sasuke needed. He ran swiftly along the hedges until he came up behind Gaara, and put all his strength into the kick he aimed at the others head. His leg was enveloped by sand in midair, and as if the sand was a living being in itself, it slung the boy backwards, slamming him into the thick vegetation behind him. The air was forced out of his lungs by the hard impact, and he fell breathless down to the ground. Thorns had imbedded themselves into his body, leaving long bloody rips, He gasped for air, trying with all his might to get enough in order to send off more fire towards the other.  
Gaara was by his side in a flash, kneeling beside him, eyes fixed on the bleeding wounds. Sasuke opened his mouth with a panicked expression on his pale face. He couldn't breathe. The Pharaoh stood again, savouring the sight of the boy he hated more than anyone else dying before his very eyes.  
Then it struck him. That wasn't his plan at all! He was supposed to torture the Uchiha for weeks, maybe months, before killing him. This way Naruto would be the only one to suffer, and he wasn't about to let that happen. He bent down and took Sasuke by the wrists, pulling him to his feet. He paused for a second or two, not sure if he wanted to spare the boy. Sasuke went limp and started to sag. That was when Gaara decided he wasn't finished yet. He placed his mouth over the Uchiha's, blowing life-giving oxygen into his lungs.  
''You didn't really think I would let you go that easily, did you, Uchiha?''  
Sasuke didn't answer; he was incredibly relieved to get his breath back and couldn't get enough of the cool night air.  
The pharaoh licked his lips. The pale boy tasted like blood, he must have bit his lip falling.  
''Delicious!'' he mumbled.  
Sasuke wasn't sure he had heard right, but he didn't want to wait and find out. As fast as he was able to, he raised his knee, aiming for Pharaoh's crotch, only to have his knee hitting a hard wall of protecting sand. The pain to his knee made him gasp, but he wasted no time contemplating it before twisting out of Gaara's hold and making a move for the exit. He only got a few frantic steps away before the sand closed in around his ankles and brought him to the ground again. He chanced a glance behind his shoulder. Pharaoh was fuming, his bright ice-blue eyes held so much hate in them. Sasuke grunted out while desperately trying to kick his feet loose. The sand wouldn't give way or enough leverage though, and it started to cover Sasuke's wrists in order to keep him still.  
''I'm like quicksand, Uchiha. The more you fight, the rougher I get.'' There was nothing unclear about Gaara's intentions now. Sasuke knew he had no possibility to flee from his superior's fury.  
Gaara unbuckled his golden belt and set it aside along with his silken schenti. Willing the sand to spread Sasuke's legs apart, he sat down in-between them. He placed his hand on the brim of the raven-haired boy's schenti, and seeing him freeze by the touch brought a wicked grin to his lips. He roughly ripped the cloth away, making Sasuke lay before him naked in the moonlight. He placed his hands on both cheeks in front of him, digging his nails in, earning himself an enraged yet frightened scream from the other. He spread the cheeks and Sasuke's face flushed crimson from embarrassment, and he was about to renew his struggles when he felt something rough at his opening...  
Eyes opening wide, he felt how the sand penetrated his body. A thin line at first, but then growing wider, stretching him painfully against the rough grains.  
Gaara didn't care the least to take it slow and gentle. The sand pushed inside of Sasuke with such force that it brought an agonising scream from him. He twisted around, trying with all his might to get away but the sand had him trapped. Gaara chuckled lowly as he noticed the blood run down the pale groin to end up pooling in the sand.  
The sand quickly withdrew from the abused body, and Sasuke let out a shaky breath of relief. But when the hands remained where they were, Sasuke realised what Gaara intended to do.  
He turned his head as far as it could go to glare at him.  
''Don't you fucking dare!!''  
''As if you could stop me. I own you, Uchiha Sasuke."  
With that, Gaara pushed inside, bringing out a scream louder and more painful than any before out of the boy under him. The redhead panted hard; the Uchiha was incredibly tight when he clenched around him like that. Pulling almost all the way out, he rammed back inside again. Not satisfied with just receiving a painful gasp, he did it over and over again until Sasuke couldn't help but to let another scream out.  
When he moved into a steady yet none the less brutal rhythm, he let go of the cheeks to place his hands on Sasuke's shoulder blades. He dug his nails harshly into the pale skin until he drew blood, then he scratched down the back, over and over again until it was covered with the red liquid.  
''You should know better than to steal from the Pharaoh!'' Gaara growled between the thrusts. ''Naruto is mine, and he likes it!'' He raised his right arm and struck the bleeding boy hard over the spine, making his blood splatter over them both. ''Do you understand?'' He let the sand close tighter around Sasuke's ankles, making the bones creak with the pressure.  
He repeated, ''Do you... understand?'' He knew the pain had to be excruciating, still it took a good ten seconds before Sasuke answered him.  
''Yes...'', he whimpered.  
Sasuke's raven hair looked absolutely stunning in the glow of the moon. The young Pharaoh hated the thought of beauty in such a pitiful creature, so he grabbed a fistful of the silky strands and jerked the hurting boy's head back. Sasuke swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. He had never been more humiliated in his life. He felt Gaara pull out of him and he believed the ordeal was over. That was until the redhead shifted and straddled his back.  
He looked down at the despair in the Uchiha's eyes and he loved it. He leaned forward and whispered, ''This, ungrateful thief, is what I do to traitors...'' He let go of Sasuke's hair and gripped his own arousal. After a few strokes, the Pharaoh moaned loudly and came, his seed soiling the to that point flawless sight that was Sasuke.  
He spent the next few minutes marking his inferior by scratching bloody stripes in the skin on the boy's back and rubbing tiny grains of sand in the wounds, his actions accompanied by pain filled growls.  
Gaara adored inflicting any kind of discomfort on anyone who dared to go against his commands, and this kind of punishment was his favourite.  
It wasn't long until he felt ready for action again, and he loosened the sand's grip on Sasuke. To his surprise, the pale boy made no motion to get up and try to flee. Instead, he rolled over on his blood stained and partially skinned back and stared into the sky, the stars blurred in his vision by very unwelcome tears. The Pharaoh immediately sat astride his slim hips. ''Hey now'', he said in a feigned tone of remorse, ''I didn't hurt you, did I?'' He laughed as a cool night breeze blew over their bodies. Sasuke didn't answer, his breathing uneven. He forced himself to meet Gaara's eyes, but his gaze went unavailingly lower and fell upon the other boy's prominent erection. He shut his eyes tightly and braced himself for what he knew would be haunting his mind for a very long time. Gaara shifted his position, lifted Sasuke's thighs and entered him again.

The Pharaoh kept Sasuke in the maze throughout most of the night, degrading him in every way he could think of. When he was done, he heaved the pale, limp body over his shoulder and carried it towards the far end of the large protective wall that surrounded the palace. His ancestors had placed a secret passageway there, for an easy escape in case the palace was under attack, but once Gaara became Pharaoh he sealed the hidden passage with hard sand as he found no use for it, until now. With a movement of his hand, the sand moved aside to let him through. Once he appeared outside the walls, he put the raven-haired boy down. Sasuke had passed out some time towards the end of the torture, so Gaara propped his body in a sitting position against the wall, covering him with his schenti. He stood watching the seemingly sleeping boy for a while, making sure the majority of the wounds had stopped bleeding. He was quite certain that Sasuke would have at least ten hours to wake up, climb down the steep slope to clean himself in the river (if he could move that much, Gaara thought, smirking) and sneak back into his room before the guards patrolled that part of the estate.  
His silken schenti rustling in the wind, Gaara walked away from the quivering body, feeling content for having restored his authority.

 

tbc...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to finish this fic but it felt strange without my co-writer. I'd love to see it finished though so if anyone else feels inspired to continue with it, let me know and I'll give you all the info I still remember to help you.


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